[clovey]

Thought I would put in an upbeat trendy name for today's chat thread. Monday Moaning did not seem conducive to inspiring us, although that is what I feel a bit like doing.....

But no. I am off to the allotment to weed inside the fruit cage (which is more of a thistle cage at the moment). I weeded one bed yesterday and found three rows I forgot I even planted....chervil, parsley and radish! I dont know if I like radish. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I think 'yuk'.

Fairly new client cancelled his 10am appointment today. I dont like being messed around about appointments, although sometimes it is part of the person's pattern and therapy. But it does mean I have extra uninterrupted time today.

What is everyone up to? Lets settle down here with some coffee and the papers and ready ourselves for the week....

[Ruthxxx]

Good morning, Clovey. Yes, I hate Monday Moans too! I'm glad you have some free time today to garden - it's so good for the soul!

It sure was a long night! The big trucks started roaring down our road about 9 PM and the last one just arrived! The Fair is IN!!!!! This morning they'll start assembling the rides to an audience of every kid with a bike! I still get excited over the Fair but sure didn't enjoy my sleepless night.

The meeting at the Denaut Mansion went well. The chick from Hogtown is doing articles promoting tourism in this area and wanted information on history and shopping! Debra did serve Martinis and white wine with little salmon and shrimp canapes. Yes, I ate two! Nummy!

Miss Hershey goes to her fur stylist for 9 this morning. She needs to look good for her own morale when she goes to be bred next weekend. It's artificial insemination but still......

We have another work bee planned for late this afternoon - weed whipping and such. My wrist means I can't do much but I may fertilize the planters one more time. We have a BBQ followed by a meeting to iron out last minute details. I am not looking forward to it as John will be back from his Bankok trip and be tired and *****y. He really drives himself which is great but hard on the rest of us sometimes.

Right now, I am going to feed my Hershey Girl and give her extra pets because she really misses her Lucy. Then coffee and breakfast for me and a soak in the tub before starting the day.

Let's go - the week has started!

[clovey]

Ah, Ruth, I rather envy your high and willing levels of community involvement. I dont think I can match your enthusiasm. When I move (if it goes through ) to Somerset then maybe I will get more villagey. But it must not be forgotton that the cottage I am negotiating for is called The Hermitage. Not for nothing has it won my heart.

You look after that wrist of yours. And if you are fertilizing planters, umm, be discreet Ruth.

[cottagebythesea]

Good Morning, we are back from our fabulous vacation and settled into normal routine. Looks like we left the shore just in time, too. They've been having nothing but rain since we left! I managed to stay OP most of the time, and even went to Curves several times for my workouts, but I did have a dessert every day. Not much damage done, though, and I am following Phase 1 for a few days.

Clovey, how's that toothache, did you get it taken care of? If not, putting 2 whole cloves between the tooth and your gums should bring some relief.

Ruth, sounds like it's going to be a fun week with the fair in town! Please post pixs of Lucy's puppies when they arrive. How is she doing?

This morning I have to take my car in for inspection and servicing, so I'll have to enjoy my coffee and papers while I'm waiting for it. Then at some point today I'll be babysitting, and I'd like to clean the house and throw in a load of laundry before that, so looks like I'll be busy. Supper will be leftover turkey breast with veggies and salad, so no fussing there.

[little chick]

Morning chickies.... I am up showered and dressed this morning. WOW that has not happed lately usually I am so lazy in the mornings. Anyway I am missing my girls the house is so quiet. I talked to youngest dd last night and she is having fun they are going into Toronto today and the spent the week end at the cottage did lots of swimming. Oldest dd is having fun as well with lots of swimming and jumping. I need to get my butt back OP. ( I know I have been saying that alot lately) but I woke up feeling fat this morning. Maybe that is what I needed to get my butt back in gear. So it is going to be a day of planning meals for the week. DH and I are going to have a romantic dinner tonight to celebrate his birthday. Which is really tomorrow but I have to go out.

Morning Clovey great start up name.
Ruthie- I can remember getting excited about the fair as well I used to live down the street from where the fair set up when I was growing up. Give Hershery a pet for me I am sure she is lonely.
Cottage- glad you enjoyed your vacation.

Be back in a minute

Sorry DH was having Trolley troubles, he had a brake light out. He has been driving a trolley for summer for a tour company. Lots of fun. Today he has do take the cruise ship passengers around. Lots of fun. Well I need to dash of again the kids are outside squealing I am sure the neighbours are loven that.
Have a great day.

[Mamacita]

Good morning, Chicks! Came in and was really surprised to see everyone up and about so early.

My ear/throat is still bugging me. Beginning to think it's irritation from the ragweed and other nasty pollens that are floating around in the air.

Had a nice time Saturday evening at the free concert, though we were worried if we'd even have one. A real frog-strangler of a T storm came through about an half an hour before the concert was scheduled to set up. Thankfully, it passed by quickly.

I have a pot roast in the crockpot for supper, with some onion, carrots and celery as veggies. If the others want potatoes, they're going to get the canned ones that have languished on the pantry shelf lo, these many months. Don't know who bought them, but canned potatoes??? BLECH!!!!

Lately, I've been eating so much , I feel as if I'm going to sprout feathers and start clucking any minute.

That's all the news from around here. I'm not weighing until I'm sure that TOM is well and truly outta here.

Hope you all have a great day on the beach! Oh, speaking of, got Jimmy Buffett's new CD, "License to Chill" yesterday. Really makes me long to dabble my tootsies in the surf. ~~sigh~~

Mamacita

[Kiko]

Mama YUM! I love using my crockpot..... I need to dig that thing out from the back of the cabinet.

Barb Hope you got some rest!!

Cottage Welcome back! We had a wonderful time in NC ourselves. DD loved the beach.

Morning Clovey and Barb!

TOM, nonOP BBQ ribs, and too much wine on Saturday night are leaving me feeling fat this morning. Not to worry as I am right back on track on this Monday morning. I have a training M-W of this week, so actually have to have my butt out of bed and ready to go. DD is home with DH today, they are so excited for their day together. She is 100% a Daddy's Girl!

Off to whip up some eggs and pack a few snacks for the day. Later gators!!

Anyone hear from Laurie yet??

[skherb]

Good Morning everyone!!
Yes I do love the new theme! We are up here and trying to get ready for the day. Not much going on here except I have a Dr.s appt this AM and I need to go by the store for eggs.

I managed to stay away from the cake and icecream at the party yesterday so I am very proud of my self. Especial since it was so hot out!

Going to try to clean the house today if my DD's will let me.:rollingeyes: Doesn't that sound like fun.

Ruthxx- I have a question for you. Since you breed your dogs. How often do the have thier visitor? (Time of the month) My almost 1 year old westie just got finished wondering how long I have until I need to decide what we are going t do.

Hope all of your days are fabulous girls!!!

[ellis]

Holy moly, you're all up early!!
I'm going to see my psychiatrist... back later, darlings.

[weezle]

Morning!

Gotta be quick! For some reason, I had my alarm set for 7, and I remember it going off, and then next thing I know I hear a panicked "Honey???" and it's 8:10. Aaagghh. Back to the 2 jobs today. Ugh I hate the 2-job days. Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. Yak. Well, enough moaning about it. Need to get sleep rubbed out of my eyes and some breakfast in my tummy! Later everybody!

[clovey]

A frog strangler, mamacita?? eh? please explain.

I have been gardening for a few hours (planted a couple more rows of parsley, dill, and dwarf french beans). Now I am hot and sweaty. Lunch of baked aubergines and tomatos is in the oven, and I have about an hour and a quarter before I need to go out to see my therapist. That will be a relief.

I am trying a new thing of doing phase one during the week and phase two at the weekend. By this I mean being very strict on the phase one side of things monday to friday, but reintroducing some fruit, or some good carb bread or something, and having a couple of glasses of wine, on Friday and Saturday nights. This seems to me to be a good idea, as I am finding it hard to find the right balance on phase two to lose weight, largely because I think I am having too much carb too quickly when I reintroduce it. I reckon that I might sneak in the odd piece of fruit in the week eventually, but for now I am going to do phase one with a pleasant weekend of shiraz and blueberries, and maybe a helping of taboulet. I will let you know how it all goes. I am not very good at denying myself anything. This is a long long haul for me as I have so much to lose (well, a hundred pounds....seems like a lot to me). So I need to find a way that I can live with it long term and keep losing.

Right, now to tackle today's 'must do' list.....

[cac]

Hi all,
Last week something strange but good happened. I live about 1/2 mile from Prospet Park in Brooklyn which has a 3.3 mile jogging, walking, bike loop in it. Recently I have been walking joggin up to the park, then around some street, and then back home for aobut a 30 minute exercise routine. Last wed when I got to the park I said to my self "why not walk/jog the loop? The worst you could do is walk the whole thing" Since then I have done it Thur/Sat/Sun and will do it agian starting Wed. I went from 1 hour 40 minute to 1 hour 17 minutes. I feel so good aobut myself. I feel like I am turning from being what i can't do, to what I can do.

cac

[skherb]

Way to go CAC!!!! That is awesome. Keep up the good work!

[Barb0522]

The party was so much fun! We stayed for four hours with the moms and dads talking and the kids playing! I think I did pretty well with the food. I didn't eat any of the cake or cupcakes. I sent the leftover cake home with one mom. I took the cupcakes to daycare this morning. I did have two small slices of cheese pizza. I ate them very slow and enjoyed every bite.

It felt so good having my friends notice my weight loss. I told them all about SB and they have to admit that it is working for me.

I'm pretty rested up this morning. I even slept a little past my alarm but since I'm on vacation there was no harm done. My son is at day care/summer camp and I am taking stuff out of the dining room so I can start ripping up the carpet. Better get busy. Talk to y'all later!

[beachgal]

Hi, all! I hope you are having a lovely morning! Clovey, you started us all off on the right foot with that great title!

Today I am working on deadline for a brochure I need to make for the office...so unfortunately no time to post directly to everyone, but kudos to all of you who refrained from off plan food this weekend, who are making good plans to stay OP in the future, and especially to cac for being so inspiring and doing such a great thing for herself!



Good for you all!!!

The spa day was pure heaven! I now have shoulder length hair with light layers in it. I love the style, but the highlights are too stripey for my taste. Still, now I know what I think I would like to do with it. My eyebrows and face look so nice and clean and groomed, and I have iridescent (sp?) nail polish on my manicured hands! I feel like a "pretty princess" as my goddaughter would say. I was exhausted afterwards, which is weird!

We went out to dinner on Sunday to a restaurant I'd been avoiding. Another couple invited us out and wanted to try Pietro's...which I've been avoiding because they have the most amazing fresh bread with olive oil and bruschetta. I was so proud of myself for totally avoiding the bread and actually not even wanting it!

I was a total loser this morning, though...I didn't get up to go workout. I was still so tired...enhanced by my staying up late to watch the movie we rented but didn't get around to over the weekend. I really shouldn't have done that. Well, live and learn, eh?

I hope everyone has a great day! We're having beef kabobs with mushrooms tonight with couscous and the broccoli and bacon cheese salad from the forum. I'm excited to try it!